When Ed Curtis, BSN, RN, began his career at Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health in 1975, he served as a registered nurse at Springfield Memorial Hospital, then Memorial Medical Center. He held leadership positions over the years, including COO, and became president and CEO of the system in 2008. Today, as Mr. Curtis prepares to retire March 31, Memorial Health’s annual budget exceeds $1.7 billion. Mandy Eaton, PhD, will succeed him, effective April 1.
In honor of his retirement, the Edgar J. Curtis Leadership Endowment Fund was established to support the development of future leaders, and the system’s learning facility was renamed the Edgar J. Curtis Memorial Learning Center.
Mr. Curtis recently spoke with Becker’s about his legacy and the future of Memorial Health.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: You started your career as a bedside nurse at Memorial in 1975. How did that early clinical experience shape the way you led the organization over the decades?
Ed Curtis: I had a family experience that brought me to the hospital when I was in high school, and it was, in today’s terms, a hospice situation. So I got to observe roles in the hospital that made a big impact on me. When I went to college, I specifically went to be a registered nurse. And if you think back, in 1975, there were not many males in nursing, and I worked at the bedside for 10 years. I loved every day of it. I can honestly say I’d still be doing it if somebody hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hey, would you serve in this capacity over here?” And that’s how my career went. But it shaped my career tremendously, because I always remember these firsthand experiences about the challenges of being on the front line and how important it is to make sure that we prioritize decisions that improve both patient care and staff experiences.
Q: Under your leadership, Memorial grew from a single hospital into a regional health system. What principles guided your approach to sustainable growth and community partnerships?
EC: As I look back, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved together as an organization, but the successes we’ve experienced as an organization during my time as president, CEO, I don’t view as my personal achievements. They are the result of all of us keeping our mission at the heart of what we do.
And this is a purpose-driven organization, starting at the board level. By purpose, I mean a mission-driven organization, and our mission is to improve lives and build stronger communities through better health. So, as you talk about the organization growing, if you go into a new community over that period of time — which we did four other times, four other communities — what are we there for? We’re trying to improve lives and build stronger communities through better health.
And having a very strong purpose, and the board keeping their eye on that purpose, is why we’ve had so much success as an organization. But it’s the people of Memorial, and I’m one of those, and I’m leaving it in great hands, because I’m leaving it with all of them.
Q: You’ve been deeply involved in mentoring future healthcare professionals and expanding educational opportunities. What do you hope the Edgar J. Curtis Leadership Endowment Fund and the newly named learning center will accomplish for future generations?
EC: The endowment is something that I’ll hand to my successor, Dr. Mandy Eaton, who is going to do an incredible job leading Memorial Health. The board was very thoughtful and had a wonderful process for choosing my successor. And I care deeply about leadership development and employee development.
And I thought by having this fund, she would have money available to do some extra things to help in terms of leadership development. We have a fellowship program for new graduate students, and we’ll continue a program like that. But, sometimes, allowing them to have other leadership opportunities — these could be paid for not by the organization, but by the proceeds of this endowment. But that will be at her full discretion.
Q: As you look back on 50 years of service, what do you hope will be your most lasting legacy at Memorial Health and in the central Illinois community?
EC: Relentless pursuit of mission, keeping an eye on improving lives and building strong communities through better health. That doesn’t mean dropping something that’s not profitable, like behavioral health. We’re all in on mission and preservation as a safety net, so that everybody has access to care that they need throughout central Illinois. Those are the things that I’m most proud of, but that’s being accomplished by strong leadership at the board level. They got a steady hand on that and just incredible colleagues that work in this organization.
